


Love is Strange

by Procrast16



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Abuse, Also zuko has been disowned, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And dishonored, And zuko is bald not only to show dishonor but to hide the oatch of brown that grows, Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, It's completely closed so as not to be shamed by the blue, M/M, Past Abuse, Sad, Sort Of, Soulmate AU, Zuko is bald at first and his left eye is even worst than in canon, Zuko is jailed, but don't worry this fic will have silliness and love and fun, but only fire nation knows this so everyone will think him enemy nation prince, but with reality mixed in, even sader, sokka is regarded as a prince
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:07:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23309629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Procrast16/pseuds/Procrast16
Summary: Everybody is born with their soulmate’s eye color in one eye, the left eye, and a patch of hair their soulmates color. For Sokka, the prince of the Southern Water Tribe it means lying and secrecy. For Prince Zuko of the esteemed Fire Nation, it means shame and isolation.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 294





	1. Beggining

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo, I know that the last thing I should be doing right now is starting another Zukka fic especially since I should be working on I Don't Like It But I Guess Things Happen That Way but same did this idea hit me at 3 am ad damn if I just had to write it down.
> 
> Anyway, this is just a taste and for you guys to tell e if you like the idea or not ;p

Sokka wears a fancy eyepatch over his left eye. He has come to accept it as part of himself. And its common knowledge in the small tribe that it’s because he was born with a colorless eye. They all say that the black patch of shaved hair at his nape is just an odd occurrence as well so he doesn’t get bothered much directly.  
The truth, however, about his eye and hair is that he has been assigned an impossible fate. There has never been a natural-born water tribe member with raven hair and golden amber-like eyes. The only people with those attributes happen to be blood-hungry warmongers. But whatever, he can deal with that, has been since he was born.

Zuko never looks at his reflection. He knows he looks hideous. He knows that he is a dishonor to his family to his ancestors, and he knows that the spirits laugh at him. Why else would they give him an unattainable and disgraceful soulmate? Why else would he be here?  
When he does see his reflection however he is never prepared. A shaved head and a half-burnt face greet him with a slap and a scowl each time. But he only ever sees them in passing. Either in the empty dish at his feet or in the broken mirror in his cell. Isolation and the chill have become his friends, but what’s new?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The origins if you will

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda short and a bit sad but necessary

“Chief Hakoda! This is a very serious matter!”  
“Don’t you think I know that?” Tired and exhausted his voice is a boat scraping ice. Eyes red and head throbbing he rubs at his temples absentmindedly.  
The day had been exciting, to say the least, it’s not every day that the chief’s first child is born.  
It had started with the labored breathing of an expectant mother and the worried vibrations from a dad to be. It had ended with tears and a different, more stagnant worry hanging in the air The whole process had lasted 7 hours from the beginning of contractions to a tiny human and Hakoda had never been more relieved and excited in his life. That is until granny came in with a stricken expression, crying bundle in her arms.  
“Hakoda are you even listening!?” Granny scolds, gloved hand thudding on the table in front of her.  
“As I’ve said before, there is not much we can do,” he snaps, removing his hand from his temples and fixing her with a soft glare of annoyance. “Yes it is unfortunate but it is what it is, and he is my son.”  
“Son or not Chief Hakoda his soul marks are very troubling, no only for those who know at this time, but for this whole tribe if this gets out.” Chief counselor Taddo explains grim expression and tautness in his voice. Hakoda even softens at this, he knows that Taddo had been looking forward to this almost as much as he.  
“Why don’t we just hide them then?” Comes a calm, collected voice from behind Hakoda.  
“Kya!” comes the exclamation from all three in the room.  
“Honey-” Hakoda begins but is silenced by her sharp warning glare.  
“Honestly if I didn’t know the circumstances I’d be more offended that I wasn’t invited to the party,” she says curtly. “Especially considering the theme so happens to be my newborn son.”  
A joined lowering of all three shamed heads has her satisfied as in a moment she is next to her husband, hands on her hips as she prepares to defend her son.  
“Kya, know that we are doing our best,” Taddo begins, “this matter is very serious to all present and if you hadn’t just been through labor it would have not even been considered to have such a meeting without you.” At the end he bows his head in apology.  
After that display Hakoda physically sees the anger melt off Kya and in return some tension melts off him as well. Sometimes he swears Taddo is magic.  
“Well as I said earlier,” Kya says as she uses Hakoda’s shoulder to lower herself to the floor, once settled in a comfortable position she continues, “why don’t we hide them? The signs I mean.”  
“And how do you suggest we do that?” Comes the inquisition from granny.  
“Well, we can fashion an eye patch for him to wear at all times, and as for the black patch, wolf-tails are coming back around, I’m sure no one will think twice as to why is shaved a bit shorter than usual,” Kya explains, composure in her voice.  
“Sometimes I wonder why Kya isn’t Chief at times,” Taddo says, a smile spreading slightly across his features. “With such an achievable and effective way to hide it, it’s a wonder that we didn’t think of it ourselves.”  
Kya smiles and glances at Hakoda with nothing but pure joy and relief. Hakoda has never been more in love.  
“Ahem.” Granny clears her throat, no smile on her face. “If only it could be that simple. Honestly, I forgive Kya at the moment for overlooking it but you two,” she fixes a glare on Taddo and then Hakoda, “should know better.”  
“Even with the wolf-tail and eyepatch people will still wonder why. Not to mention the loose lips of a toddler, he may tell the whole tribe by the time he can talk.”  
With that the tension comes back and all four sink into a ponderous silence.  
“What if… what if we isolate him?” Comes the nervous answer from Hakoda himself.  
Immediately indignant sharp eyes lock onto the side of his face but he trudges on.  
“Of course he would have us, and you granny, and Taddo, and of course he may get lonely but if he is kept safe then nothing is too much to bear.” At the end of his short explanation, he spares a glance at his wife. Her eyes shine in the faint light and she looks heartbroken.  
“This may be for the best,” Taddo speaks, and to his right, Granny gives a sad nod.

The day Zuko is born is nothing like anything in the past. Firelord Ozai is in a war council when news reaches him that his wife is in labor. By the time he decides to care his son has been born for an hour.  
Ursa cries, begs, pleads that Ozai comes nowhere near, begs the maids and anyone who will listen to take her son and run far away. They don’t even give her a pitying glance. Especially once they know.  
When Ozai finds out it’s worse than torture as Ursa has her son ripped from her. She knows what he’ll do, she knows Zuko has no chance at a happy life, knows he’ll be abused and used and then thrown away.  
She cries for days and allows no company. Ozai doesn’t care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it, next chapter will actually be their lives so yay


End file.
